Spark plug



c. ADAMS, JR'., ET Al.'

SPARK PLUG Fil'ed sept'. 4.

7' am, Wglfer c6. eaams,

. ,By/Zun'r imatented dan., i, 1,924@

CHARLES ADAMS, Ja., AED WALTER 1A. ananas, or w'EEHAwE-EE, NEW JEEsEr j SPARK PLUG.

Application filed September ll, 1919. Serial No. 321,5463.

This invention relates `to a high tension ignition `plug forinternal combustion engine ignition, land has for its object visual indication of short ycircuits in such ignition system.

In the .devices .of this kind heretofore ,.knownthe ignition-sparlr-gap is :termed by a pair of terminal members, :one of .which is directly grounded lon the engine Aon which one terminalof thebattery is also grounded` the indicating "device being interposed between the other terminals.. This .arrangement has'the defect that vit is not possible `aror-.ndthe :spark-gap or other .trouble of ,the circuit at the spark-plug.

rlhe principal object of this invention is toprovide a visual spark-gap on thefpositive' or ingoing side oi" :the spark-plug whereby theingoing. current may be sighted vupon any vplug in advance et its passing thev ignition point vso that in the vabsence roi a spark at the visual point it Awill indicate an absence o1 ignition current atthe terminalpoints of the plug. i v

' `Other objects ofthe inventioniwill appear as the description proceeds;v and while'herein minute details of the invention are'- described, the invention is not vlimited tort'hese, since :many and various .changes 'may be made without departing fromthe scope ot' the invention' as claimed.

ln Vthe accompanying'drawing, showing by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Figure l isa longitudinal sectional view ot a sparlr-plughavingour improved indiyeating means thereon, the connections'thereof being shown diagrainma-ti'cally. Y

2 is an enlarged:sectionalview ot the indicating means;

Figs. 3 to.5 are plan, side felevationand ibottom'view respectively of the spark-plum VThe spark-plugfbase 10 is screwedinto with it to detect an ordinary fshortrcircuit and bushing.

flower projecting end 40.

Aspark-gap 45.

` the engine cylinder in the usual way and is,

therefore, grounded upon the engine as indicated at G, and has a bore 11 passing therethrough and provided interiorly with an intermediate annular seat 14, threads 15 at its upper part, and a dared lower end 16. A porcelain insulator 18 is disposed V in said bore and provided with an intermediate Yenlargement 19, a pair of projections 20 at its 'lowerend, a Vbinding screw recess 21, an

intermediately shouldered visual vspark-gap chamber recess 22 at its upper end, a lateral 'window 23 communicating with vsaid yspark chamber recess, and a pair oi small longitudinal bores 25 extending from said -recesses 21 and 22 respectively and out through j said projections 2Q respectively. ifi. threaded bushing 28prov1dedV with ytool receiving Vtaces 29 engages with/said lthreads 15 ot Tsaidsbore. Asbestos paclings'SOand 31dis- 'W posed between the upper and lower `parts of said enlargement 19 andsaid bushing 28 and seatlL respectively hold said porcelain insulator everywhere spaced from saidbase A binding screw 35 is threadedrinto said binding screw recess 21 and provided with binding nuts 36 and '37. A straight terminal wire 39 is secured to said screw 35 and passes through one otrsaidfslnall bores 25 and has a A hookedlterininal wire i3 passes through the other small l bore 25, and has its upper-end terminating in said spark-gapchamber 22and` its lower endhooked as at Li and disposed near said projecting llower endl fl() to form an ignition A spark-point pluga? (Fifgn2) cemented inthe lowerend of .-saidspai-lr-gap recess 22 issecured to said hooked wire 3-andds-pro vided 'atits upper endwith a sparking'point tuglass tube i9 on the shoulder 50 of saidsparlrfgap recess closes said window and .extends-to the top vor the recess. A connect ing strip'l (Fig. l) vsecured'by means o't a screw '52jto the side otsaidbase 10^islpro vided witha sight-opening aimed-.with said'window 23, and'has an-angnlarly upper portionk 5i disposed Vover said spark-gap chairjoer and. provided with a' threaded opening 5'? (Fig. 2). A threadedsparlringpin 58 is disposed in saidthreaded openingvand has atool slot 59 in its upperlend,-an'd has its 4lower nd' '60 pointed and-fy co-o'perating lwith saidzsparkingzpointl-t to provide a Gil visual spark-gap 62 alined with said windouv 23, and sight opening 53. ifi locknut (Se is provided on said pin.

A source ot current, as tor instance th storage battery has its negative termin i grounded on the chassis of the automobile, as indicated at G2; and an electrical connection 7l connects the positive terminal to said binding screw and has an induction coil 74e and timing distributor 75 interposed therein.

The spark plug is secured in the engine cylinder and connected up and operated in the ordinary Way. it the current is passing and the sparking taking place properly, there Will be sparking at the visual sparking-gap 62 and this can be ascertained by sighting through the opening 53 and Window 23. Should the circuit be open anywhere, obviously no spark Will show at the spark gap 62, and trouble Will be thereby indicated. Should there be any short circuit between the conductor 7l or either terminal l() or 4:8 and the base 'i0 oil engine cylinder, the visual spark-gap Will also be short circuited, and no spark will show therein.

A careful examination oit' this improved spark plug Will shovv that practically all spark-plug troubles Will be indicated by the absence of the spark at the visual spark- `We claim as our invention:

l. In a spark plug, a metallic base; an insulating member disposed in said base provided With a spark gap chamber open at one end, said chamber having a translucent Wall portion; means supported by and grounded on said base for connecting the base and insulating member andV closing the open end of the spark gap chamber and permitting view of the translucent .vall portion of the spark gap chamber from the exterior of the spark plug; a spark-point plug operatively arranged in the spark gap chamber; and a sparking pin operatively connected to said connecting means for cooperating vvith said spark-point plug for providing a spark gap in said chamber.

2. In a spark plug, a metallic base; an insulating member disposed in said base provided with a spark gap chamber open at its outer end, said chamber having a translucent side Wall portion; means supported by and grounded on said base t'or connecting the base and insulating member and having a sight opening registering with said translucent Wall portion; aspark-point plug operatively arranged at the inner end of the spark gap chamber; and a sparking pin operatively connected to said connecting means for cooperating with said sparkpoint plug for providing a spark gap in said chamber. v

'3. In a spark plug, a metallic base; an insulating member disposed in said base provided with a spark gap chamber open at its outer end and having a sight opening; a glass lining tor the side Walls ot the spark gap chamber; means supported by and grounded on said base for connecting the base and insulating member and closing the outer end o'r` the spark gap chamber and having an opening registering with the sight opening ot said chamber; a sparkpoint plug operatively arranged at the inner end ot the spark gap chamber; and a sparking pin operatively connected to said connecting means tor cooperating` With said spark-point plug tor providing a spark gap in said chamber.

il. ln a spark plug, a metallic base; an insulator disposed in said base and provided With a spark-gap chamber having a Window therein; a cylindrical glass tube open at both ends and lining the sides of the chamber and covering said Window; a connecting strip supported and grounded on said base and having a portion closing the outer end of the chamber and holding said tube in place and provided With a threaded opening disposed over said chamber; a spark-point plug in said chamber; and a sparking-pin adjustably received in said threaded opening and supported by said strip and having its point disposed in said chamber and cooperating with said plug to provideI a visual spark-gap.

5. ln a spark plug, a metallic base; an insulating member disposed in said base provided With a spark gap chamber open atone end, said chamber having a translucent Wall portion; a recess in the outer end of the insulating member; means supported by and grounded on said base for connecting the base and insulating member and closing the open end ol the spark gap chamber and permitting view of the translucent Wall portion of the spark gap chamber from the exterior of the spark plug; a terminal Wire extending through the 1n` sulating member having one end in the sp ark gap chamber and its opposite end located externally ot the insulating member at the inner end of said member; a spark-point plug on said wire located in the spark gap chamber; a sparking point operatively connected to said connecting means and extending into the spark gap chamber for cooperating With said spark point plug; binding means in said recess ot the insulating member; and a terminal Wire extending through the insulating member having one end secured to said binding means and .its opposite end located externally of theinsulating member and operatively adjacent to the external end of the irst mentioned terminal Wire.

6. lin a Vspark plug, a metallic base; an insulating member disposed in said base vprovided with a spark gap chamber open CFI at its outer end and a recess adjacent to the spark gap chamber; the spark gap chamber having a sight opening therein; a translucent lining for the Side Walls of the spark gap chamber; a metallic strip Supported by the base at one side thereof and grounded thereon for connecting the base and insulating member and closing the outer end of the spark gap chamber; said strip having an opening therethrough registering with the sight opening of the spark gap chamber; a terminal Wire extending through the -insulating member having one end in the spark gap chamber and its opposite end located externally of the insulating member; a spark point plug on said wire located in the spark gap chamber;

a sparking point extending through Said strip into the spark gap chamber for cooperating With said spark point plug; binding means in said recess of the insulating member; and a terminal Wire extending through the insulating member having one end secured to said binding means and its opposite end located externally of the insulating member and operatively adjacent to the external end of the first mentioned terminal Wire.

CHARLES/ADAMS, JR. WALTER A. ADA'MS.

Vf'itnesses JOHN GLUEOK, Jr.; EDWARD GLUEOK. 

